Improvement in organ-actions



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. N M. BOYNTON. Organ-Action.

No 213.968. Patented April 8,1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWELL M. BOYNTON, OF VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORING AND BLAKE ORGAN COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORGAN-ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,968, dated April 8, 1879; application filed October 28, 1878.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWELL M. BoYNToN, of Worcester, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Organ-Actions; and I declare the following to be a description of my said invention sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a plan view of such parts of an organ-action as are necessary to illustrate the nature of my invention, portions of the upper w rk being shown broken away to reveal parts beneath. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the action on a line, 00 a, trans versely to the reed-board.

The na ure of my invention consists, first, in the employment, in a reed-organ action, of a sub-bails action with operating mechanism, arranged substantially as hereinafter described, whereby said subbass action may be readily connected with or disconnected from the main action, as hereinafter more fully set forth second, in the employment, in a reedorgan action having a sub-bass section or register, of an operating-lever mechanism and de vices for raising and depressing the fulcrum thereof, for connecting and disconnecting the sub-bass action with and from the main action, substantially as hereinafter described.

Another feature of my invention consists in arranging the sub -bassaction pitmen and their operating parts or levers at the exterior o the wind-chest, substantially as described, and dispensing with the mute or wind-stop above the valves to the sub-bass register, as hereinafter set forth.

Other minor features of my invention will be understood from the following description, the particular features claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, A denotes the wind-chest, from which the air is exhausted by the bellows beneath the board a. B indicates the ordinary cell-board, with reed-cells b b and swells B of the usual construction. 0 is the key-frame, with keys 0 arranged thereon in the customary manner, with pitmen D extending down to the valves D. E indicates the sub-bass section, arranged at the rear part of the action-board B and provided with an auxiliary wind-chest, A, that communicates with the main wind-chest A by means of openings to. The reed-cells E and reeds c of the subbass are arranged in the manner illustrated, said cells being extended upward beyond the reed to any desired height, as at E thus pro duein g a kind of pipe for each reed. At the top part I projects the board, as at E to form a ledge or table, upon which is secured the hinge-strip f of the sub-bass valves F, which valves close down over the openings of the cells E, as indicated.

The valve-operating pit-men F pass down through the ledge or projecting board E to the exterior of the cell -board E, and also through the openings of a guide strip or bar, H, upon which they are supported and prevented from dropping through by means of collars h, which rest on the top of said bar.

The valves are provided with the usual springs g, and are covered in and protected by the perforated box or easing G, which can be readily removed for inspecting the valves and reeds when required.

Extending from positions beneath buttons I on the under sides of the keys 0 to positions beneath the respective valve-operating pitmen F, I arrange a series of actuating-levers, K, the fulcrum-supports K of which I make adjustable by action of the stop-pull, or in such a manner that they can be readily raised or depressed by the stop or swell devices, so

as to bring the levers within reach of the but-.

tons I, attached to the several keys '0, and thus putting the sub-bass in action, or to carry them out of reach of said buttons when the sub-bass is not required, thus relieving the keys of the strain and labor of working the sub-bass action. I11 the present instance the levers K are fulcrumed or hinged at K to one edge of a rocking support-ba-r, L, which latter is pivoted to the frame-pieces M at its ends I, and provided with a spring, m, for retaining the parts in their disconnected position, or with the levers depressed, their front ends resting upon the packing along the aide-strips d, and out of reach of the buttons I. (See full lines, Fig. 2.) The rockingbarL is operated by a lever, N, having itsfront end pivoted to theframe-piece M, and provided at its rear end with a downward projection or lug, which rests upon the rear edge of the rockenpiece L. The roll 0 on the end of the crank-rod 0 works upon the top of the lever N, as indicated, and when the pullbar P, to which the opposite end of the crank-rod O is attached, is drawn out, said lever is pressed down by the roll 0, and by rocking the piece L elevates the fulcrums or supports K, and thereby raises the levers K into a position where they engage the buttons I and pitmen F, thus connecting the sub-bass action with the main action, (see dotted and broken lines, Fig. 2,) so that the sub-bass valves will be opened by depression of the keys C.

The crank-rods O are supported in bearings 0 on the under side of the board It, and the stop-pulls P are arranged through the nameboard It in the usual manner.

The buttons 1 are adjustably attached to the keys 0 by means of screws t passing down through saidkeys in the manner shown,whereby said buttons can, from the upper side of the keys, be readily adjusted to give the desired accuracy in the working of the action, and to take up any looseness occasioned by shrinkage or wear.

By arranging the levers K, pitmen F, and valves F in the manner illustrated the workin g parts of the action are all at the exterior of the wind-chest and in convenient locality for inspection, while in the sub-bass action I dispense with the mute or stop above the valves F, since the valves do not act with the keys unless the actions are connected. The keys are relieved from the strain of the valvesprings g and the weight of the operatingpart-s while playing all music in which the sub-bass is not required, thus rendering the pressure or resistance of the keys uniform throughout the full length of the bank.

I do not desire to confine my invention to the particular form and arrangement of lever mechanism herein shown, since said levers K can be modified in form and position, and other devices can be employed for raising their fulcrums, to bring them into or out of action, without departing from the spirit of my invention. Said lever mechanism could, if required, be used within the windchest A in place of the ordinary lever devices and subbass valve attachments, but I prefer the arrangement herein shown.

What I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a reed-organ action, the combination, with the main action and sub-bass registervalves, of a series of actuating-levers and an adjustable fulcrum-bearer for supporting the same, whereby the fulcrums of said levers are raised and depressed for throwing the subbass valve mechanism into and out of action, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the main wind-chest A, the subbass section E, having reed-cells E, with reeds c, auxiliary wind-chest A, with passages a, the top ledge or projection 15, perforated for pitmen, and the valves 1, arranged without mutes, as shown.

3. In a reed-organ action, the sub-bass section E, having reed-cells E, with prolongated chambers extending as pipes above and be yond the ends of the reeds, in the manner indicated at E substantially as shown, for the purpose stated.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the sub-bass cell-board E, having top ledge or projection E, with valves F, the guide-bar H, the valve-pitmen F, arranged through said ledge and guide, and the actuating-levers K, above and exterior to the wind chest and beneath the pitmen.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of. the actuating-levers K, the rocking bar L, supporting their fulcrulns K, the keys 0, provided with buttons I, the pitmen F, and valves F, for the purpose stated.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the fulcrum or rocker-bar L, supporting the levers K, the bearing-lever N, spring m, crank-bar O, with roll 0, and pull P, for the purposes described.

Vitness my hand this 24th day of October, A. D. 1878. I

NEWELL M. BOYNTON.

Vitnesses:

GHAs. H. BURLEIGH, GEORGE W. WARD. 

